Internet Modeler is proud to introduce a new series of articles: the Pilot and his Plane. In these articles, you¹ll get two stories for the price of one: our usual detailed and informative build-up articles, and an interview with the pilot conducted by Internet Modeler's staff.

Modeling can be a fun pastime, and it can be a great way to connect with history at the same time. Part of the goal of this series is to encourage modelers to talk with people who they know who have served; making this kind of personal connection enhances your modeling and adds a great deal of emotional satisfaction to the hobby. Plus, you¹ll learn much more than you would if you simply stick to the kit and decal instruction sheets.

In future installments, we'll talk to 19-kill U.S. Navy ace Alex Vraciu and Charles Dryden, a member of the second class at Tuskegee and a veteran of the air war over Sicily. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, our first story looks at Tom Cheek, a pilot who saw almost all of the critical action during the battle.

--Chris Bucholtz

..... Tom Cheeks's F4F-4 in 1/72 by Chris Bucholtz
..... Interview with Tom Cheek by Chris Bucholtz